am-books Chapter 171
Chapter 171
The Bronze Giants were nothing short of terrifying.
They didn’t just move like mindless machines.
No, they adapted—shifting forms, hunting down their enemies with calculated intent.
When one suddenly morphed into a bull and charged, Ihan even felt a flicker of surprise.
CRUNCH!
CRASH!
[Uoooo!!!]
“...A bull now? Seriously?”
The Bronze Giant, now in the form of a massive bull, came hurtling toward him.
Its horns gleamed like blades, sharp enough to cleave a body in two at the slightest touch.
But Ihan met it head-on.
With his bare hands.
Iron Body.
The bull’s horns weren’t enough to pierce him.
Not even close.
Yet even if its cutting power fell short, its raw strength was no joke.
GRRRRRRK—!
Muscles strained and flexed as Ihan absorbed the full force of the bull’s charge.
Anyone else—no, any human—would have been flattened.
But Ihan?
He held his ground.
This was the same Ihan who had finally reached a 7-ton squat.
The result of relentless training and sheer stubbornness.
Sure, he was still a ways off from his goal—a 10-ton deadlift—
But a damn mechanical bull?
‘I’ll just throw the damn thing.’
Ihan activated [Force Reinforcement].
His already overwhelming strength surged, pushing him beyond human limits.
Like an ant carrying prey many times its size, or a stag beetle crushing a rival with its jaws—
Ihan’s power became inhuman.
Not that this was something just anyone could do.
To wield that kind of strength meant his body had already become a vessel capable of bearing such force.
“HAAAAAH!!”
Ihan roared, pouring his will into the attack.
It wasn’t just noise—it was intent.
A battle cry to drive his strength even higher.
The sound of his voice shook the air, rippling across the battlefield.
The mages nearby?
They clutched their ears, screaming as their eardrums burst.
BOOOOM—!
But the most shocking sight wasn’t the mages dropping to their knees.
It was the Bronze Bull, flailing helplessly as Ihan lifted it off the ground.
A 7-ton hunk of metal—hoisted into the air like it was nothing.
And then—
[──!?]
He hurled it.
Where?
Straight into the other Bronze Giants.
BOOOOOM!!
The impact sent shockwaves tearing through the battlefield.
The giants couldn’t avoid it—
the sheer force of the collision shook even their massive frames.
But—
SPLAT!
“...Shit. That hurt.”
Even Ihan didn’t walk away unscathed.
Blood oozed from his palms—torn open from the sheer pressure.
‘Maybe that was a bit too much.’
Throwing a mechanical bull like a cannonball?
Not exactly a sustainable strategy.
He needed to use his head.
Still—
‘Can’t keep relying on Sword Aura either.’
He’d already cut down three of the giants,
but the energy drain was no joke.
Unlike those bastards who used Sword Aura naturally, Ihan was still wasting too much strength.
It needed work—more control.
Until then?
He’d have to fight the rest without it.
If it were just these Bronze Giants,
he could push himself further, burn through his reserves, and wipe them out.
But—
‘I doubt this ends with the giants... or those old mages.’
Ihan’s instincts screamed at him.
The Magic Tower wasn’t finished.@@@@
No, there was more.
And whatever it was—it was far worse.
‘Now this—this is what I expect from mages.’
It was perfect.
They weren’t about to disappoint him.
Ihan—who hated and despised mages more than anyone—
was also the one who respected them the most.
And ironically?
He found relief in knowing that the Magic Tower was strong.
It was a twisted sort of admiration.
The kind that made you realize—
Just how dangerous obsession could be.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted across the Empire.
The sight of the Empire’s floating fortress, its famed castle in the sky, crashing down to the earth was impossible to miss.
The news spread like wildfire, shaking the Empire to its core.
—"Who... could have done this?"
—"What the hell is happening?!"
—"Hah...!"
—"It’s divine punishment! The bastards are finally being judged by the heavens!"
From royalty to nobles to commoners, everyone was talking about it.
The Empire’s leadership hastily convened meetings.
The question?
“Do we send help to the Magic Tower or let them burn?”
But the Empire was already a mess.
Even the officials who were supposed to attend the emergency councils were dragging their feet.
And why wouldn’t they?
The Magic Tower had made plenty of enemies.
Many nobles, including the princes and vassal lords, secretly hated the Tower.
They saw the Tower’s destruction as an opportunity.
North’s Grand Warrior, Maximus, had traits that could overwhelm even Instructor Ihan’s.
Yet in actual combat, Ihan had held his ground.
Traits only described potential.
True power depended on how those traits were used.
And right now?
They had a Level 8 monster fighting with them.
Raq was holding off five Grand Mages.
So Derrick and the others had their own mission—
“Let’s move, both of you. We’re already late.”
Instructor Ihan had given them a job.
Standing around watching wasn’t part of it.
“...We didn’t mean to be late.”
Irene pouted, brushing her golden hair aside.
“Honestly, isn’t it weird that those two got here faster than us, even though we flew?”
“...Are you sure that artifact you brought isn’t defective, Derrick?”
“...It’s not defective! They’re just insane. Also, I’m not a teaching assistant!”
“Right, right.”
The group couldn’t help but feel inferior.
They had flown using magical artifacts, yet Ihan and Raq—who’d arrived first—had done so by running.
Shaking their heads, they hurried to complete their mission.
Meanwhile—
“...I wonder if the kids are here yet?”
Ihan briefly thought about his three subordinates.
He hadn’t wanted to drag them into this.
But just in case, he’d sent word ahead through Taechang.
Supposedly, they had a flying artifact and could make it on time.
‘If only that thing wasn’t three-seats-only, I would’ve flown too.’
Ihan snorted at the thought.
SCREEEECH—!
“...Don’t take it personally. I wasn’t mocking you.”
Ihan shrugged at his opponent.
He’d only been worried about whether the kids could handle their part.
But now?
“Rest in peace.”
[------.]
SCREEEEE—!
BOOM!
The last Bronze Giant reached out for him—
But it froze.
Its movements ceased.
“...Not bad.”
Ihan wiped the blood from his hands.
The bastard had been tough.
It wasn’t just that the Bronze Giants were strong.
It wasn’t just that they could transform, breathe fire, or crush enemies with sheer brute force.
They were relentless.
No matter how many times they were smashed, torn apart, or cut down, they regenerated and kept coming.
They attacked again and again—learning, adapting, and refining their methods.
It was astonishing.
Their regeneration wasn’t their only strength.
They could learn.
If these Bronze Giants had been allowed to evolve just a bit further, even Ihan might have struggled to bring them down.
But—
The winner was Ihan.
And the loser was the Bronze Giant.
So—
“Good work.”
Tap.
Ihan passed the fallen giant and gave it a light pat.
As if to say, “You did your best.”
FSSSSHHH—.
The Bronze Giant crumbled into dust.
Thus ended the thousand-year reign of the Magic Tower’s guardian.
But no one spared it a second glance.
Why?
BOOOOM!!
Because the real battle was still raging.
“Damn. Those old spellcasters sure know how to put up a fight.”
Above them, thunderclouds churned in a massive counterclockwise spiral.
The storm raged with lightning, wind, and tornadoes, consuming everything in its path.
A Cyclone.
A supermassive Cyclone.
It wasn’t just nature’s wrath—it was magic, wielded as a weapon.
Watching the awe-inspiring destruction, Ihan asked—
“Still alive?”
“......”
“Hmm. Did you finally die?”
“...Don’t kill me off so easily, you bastard.”
“Tch. Still kicking, huh?”
“You damn—!”
“Whoa, calm down. Looks like you’ve still got some fight in you.”
Ihan glanced at the corpses scattered around Raq.
About thirty?
Every single one of them had been decapitated.
Not even worth acknowledging.
The real problem was those five old bastards still floating above them.
And speaking of that—
“...All you managed was to cut off an arm?”
“Tch—!”
Ihan’s voice was sharp with disappointment.
Raq gritted his teeth, clearly seething at the criticism.
Even he couldn’t deny it.
It wasn’t enough.
But from the mages’ perspective—
It was a nightmare.
Hearing their casual conversation felt like watching predators calmly sizing up their prey.
The Grand Mages stood frozen, their faces pale and ashen.
They trembled—
Like cornered animals facing a natural enemy.